Witness narrates how Ex-HoS, allies diverted public funds to private companies in court
Cracks appear as SSANU opposes ASUU payment platform
By Emmanuel Awosika
The Senior Staff Union of Universities (SSANU) has warned the Federal Government against uneven distribution of the N40b earned allowances allocated to university unions.
The union said that the approved monies must be allocated through the university councils who have the correct sharing formula.
The Minister for Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had come to an agreement to increase the earned allowances of university unions to N40 billion in a meeting which held in Abuja on Friday.
Per the agreement, the FG would exempt ASUU from the controversial Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, even as vetting continued on the ASUU-backed University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS).
However, the SSANU said on Friday that it would oppose any payment solution asides from the the one developed by the Joint Action Committee which has SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) as members.
This was disclosed by the SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, who addressed journalists in Abuja on Friday.
Ibrahim further cautioned the government against entertaining any group or union that presented any payment platform apart from the IPPIS which he said was “recognised by the government to curb corruption within the system.”
He added: “We are, however, not unaware of the prevailing industrial unrest in the university system and if allowing them a share out of the N40b promised by the government to end the industrial action is the sacrifice we can make, we would be willing to do so.
“If, however, we discover any attempt to allocate the disbursement through the Ministry of Education or any other government office and not through the councils as prescribed by law, we shall resist such attempt with all arsenals available.
“We are ready to take the government head-on if an unjust disbursement of earned allowances is contemplated. I wish to tell people who think that way that they may be in for a shocker.”
